







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Oh my god! It’s almost 12 o’clock. | |
| Last night we were open till very late, and you know her excuse. | |
| I'm sorry for not showing up at your opening. | |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | |
| Okay, I want to have something similar then! | |
| I am alone till my friend comes. | |
| Oh look at this big boy, he gets bigger everytime I see him! | |
| How many people live in this house? | |
| Hey, what happened? Is everything okay? | |
| Is it the one with the blue tongue? | |
| Why? What's wrong? | |
| Yes, he definitely doesn't like changing places. | |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | |
| Hmm... actually, we have to boil it. | |
| Okay, who sings it? | |
| But... I'm not good at lying... | |
| Oh yeah, it's our girls' night out tonight. | |
| I want him to check the heaters in the rooms while he is here! | |
| My laptop is in it. | |